The Master of The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC), Jim Melvin, just about scraped through his ‘brutal’ incarceration for charity at the annual fundraising event, ‘Jailed and Bailed’.
This is a fundraising event organised by various Livery Companies in London, where Livery Masters are ‘arrested’ and ‘jailed’ for a short period of time, before being ‘bailed out’ by their colleagues and friends.
The bail money raised is donated to a charity of choice, which this year is the British Red Cross. The funds raised collectively by all the participating Livery Masters, over £40,000, will be of vital importance to the British Red Cross and their work around the world, especially given recent disasters in Libya and Morocco where their support is ongoing.
The event is usually accompanied by a humorous reprimand from a Sheriff or Judge. Jim was released following the generosity of WCEC members and friends who collectively paid his bail of over £3,400.
City of London Sheriff, Andrew Marsden, raked about 20 Livery Masters over the coals before they were marched off to the Tower of London, accompanied by a Beefeater and fed a spartan lunch; not exactly dried bread and gruel, but they used their imaginations.
The WCEC is delighted to add that Jim’s bail constituted the largest contribution of all the Masters involved in the event, and thankful that his efforts and his influence raised such an impressive sum, for such a good cause.
Giving back is at the core of WCEC, and it does so through its Charitable Trust. The majority of members contribute to the Trust by way of a personal donation, and it allocates approximately 4% of its capital annually to support various worthy causes. These range widely, from the promoting education through scholarships and grants, community projects, offender rehabilitation support and more.
The most recent initiative starting this year is a goal to help two people transition from life on the streets to a path of stability and personal growth. If you would like to know more about the WCEC’s charitable giving and work,click here.
